1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to digital cameras and, more particularly, to a digital camera which is arranged to store image data, for example, in a memory medium arranged detachably attached thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are smart media (SSFDC) marketed widespread by Toshiba Corporation which are used as a memory medium for a digital camera of this kind. Such a smart medium is initially formatted in a normal DOS format (normal format). With this format, where a smart medium has a capacity, for example, of 4 MB, it contains sectors in number of xe2x80x9c4xe2x80x9d for each cluster, as shown in FIG. 2.
The cluster here refers to a minimal unit within which data continuity is to be guaranteed. That is, even if a plurality of clusters for one image file is to be stored in a sporadic fashion by repeated recordation and erasure of the image file, the image data thereof will be kept continuous in each cluster.
However, because the data amount of a photographic image is approximately 60 KB, there is a necessity for a normal format to have clusters of as many as 30 or so for one image file. Accordingly, where clusters exist in a scattered manner, it takes considerable time to get access to these image files.
In order to avoid this, a DOS format (optimal format) is optimally defined for image files as shown in FIG. 2, to reduce the time of accessing to the image files. With this optimal format, the number of sectors for one cluster is reduced to xe2x80x9c16xe2x80x9d in order to facilitate the access to the image file clusters, thereby reducing access time.
The conventional digital camera of this kind has a function to establish an optimal mode so that an operator can manipulate buttons to change the normal format initially given for a smart medium to an optimal format.
However, the operator usually is unaware of a format formed on a purchased smart medium, and in many cases uses the camera with the normal format kept unchanged. in this manner, the operator has to manipulate buttons and set an optimal format if he wishes to comfortably operate the camera.
Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel digital camera.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a digital camera which can be appropriately operated without giving especial attention to the format given on a memory medium.
According to the present invention, a digital camera having a memory medium detachably attached to store an image file, comprises: a determining means which determines as to a format formed on the memory medium; and a format forming means which forms a particular format on the memory medium depending upon an output of the determining means.
The memory medium storing the image file is determined as to a format by the determining means. The format forming means forms a particular format depending upon an output of the determining means.
In one aspect of the present invention, the particular format is a format optimal for storing the image file. When a normal format is formed on the memory medium, the format forming means changes the normal format to the optimal format. However, when the memory medium formed with the normal format is in a predetermined state, a disabling means disables the format forming means.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined state is a state that is formed with a directory for a file other than the image file in the memory medium, or a state that is formed with a directory for the image file and the image file is held in the directory.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the determining means determines a current format as the normal format when memory medium has a first predetermined sector falling under a first predetermined area. Incidentally, the first predetermined sector is an 8-th sector and the first predetermined area is a boot area.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the determining means determines a current format as the optimal format when the memory medium has a second predetermined sector falling under a second predetermined area and the second predetermined area has predetermined data existing therein. Incidentally, the second predetermined sector is a 27-th sector and the second predetermined area is a boot area, the predetermined data is data representative of a predetermined number of sectors included in one cluster.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a first enabling means enables the determining means when the memory medium is attached.
In another aspect of the present invention, an instructing means which instructs to delete the image file stored in the memory medium, a deleting means which deletes the image file depending upon an output of the instructing means, and second enabling means which enables the determining means when all of the image file is all deleted.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the instructing means includes an entire deletion instructing means which instructs deletion of all of the image file.
According to the present invention, the operator can comfortably operate the camera without paying attention to a memory medium state because a particular format is formed on the memory medium depending upon an output of the determining means.